Ctaraqui Chamber Music Festival,

About the event

Cataraqui Chamber Music Festival

A Summer Festival of Music, Culture, and Connection in Kingston, Ontario

Project Summary
 

The Cataraqui Chamber Music Festival is a landmark summer music event rooted in the cultural heritage and natural beauty of Kingston, Ontario — on lands historically known as Cataraqui, a Mohawk and Anishinaabe word meaning “where the river meets the lake.” This name guides the spirit of the festival: a meeting place for music, land, and people.
 

Organized by Harmonaire Musique, the festival is produced in close collaboration with Indigenous communities, local artists, cultural institutions, and community partners. It offers a platform for emerging Canadian chamber musicians and international musicians, while creating space for intercultural dialogue and collective reflection.
 

Each summer, concerts are held in concert halls, heritage buildings, and community spaces throughout Kingston, presenting intimate, high-quality performances that celebrate both tradition and innovation. The 2026 season will expand the festival’s reach, offering an extended series of concerts, public workshops, and cultural activities across the city.
 

A central feature of the festival is its commitment to Indigenous cultural corridor. Audiences are invited to experience Indigenous art installations, storytelling, and historical exhibitions through a dedicated Indigenous Cultural Corridor. These elements are designed in consultation with local Indigenous partners to foster respectful exchange, education, and awareness.
 

Beyond music, the Cataraqui Chamber Music Festival strengthens Kingston’s cultural identity by:
 

• Empowering young Canadian artists with paid performance opportunities in a professional and culturally meaningful setting.

   

• Bridging musical performance and local history, helping audiences experience chamber music in new and socially relevant ways.

   

• Contributing to local cultural tourism and economic development, by drawing audiences from within and beyond the region.

   

• Honoring the land and its stories, while building a shared cultural future rooted in dialogue, inclusion, and artistic excellence.

   

More than a music festival, Cataraqui is a meeting ground for past and present, tradition and experimentation, Indigenous and non-Indigenous voices. It is a living, evolving celebration of Canada’s cultural complexity and artistic promise.


Format

The festival season includes:

• Chamber Music Concerts: Live performances by emerging Canadian artists in concert halls, cultural centres, and community spaces across Kingston.

   

• Indigenous Cultural Exhibitions: Visual art installations, storytelling sessions, and guest talks by Indigenous knowledge keepers, featured before or alongside concerts.

   

• Cultural Corridor: A curated exhibit that traces the local Indigenous histories and cultural narratives through interactive installations and educational panels.

   

• Workshops & Community Engagement: Musical and cultural workshops offered to youth, students, and underserved groups, encouraging participation and discovery.

Season Plan (2026)
 

The 2026 edition will run about two weeks between June through early September, with a program of about 10 concerts and indigenous cultural corridor. All concerts will be bilingual (English/French), with selected events including Indigenous language components.The festival will collaborate with local museums, Indigenous-run organizations, and arts institutions to amplify diverse voices and ensure wide community access.

 

Goals & Impact
 

• Support Emerging Artists: Provide professional performance and career-building opportunities for young Canadian chamber musicians.

   

• Celebrate Indigenous Culture: Highlight Indigenous voices and artistic expressions through respectful, collaborative programming.

   

• Community Cultural Enrichment: Contribute to Kingston’s artistic landscape and tourism by positioning chamber music as a tool for connection and heritage appreciation.

   

• Reconciliation in Practice: Promote meaningful engagement between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities through shared creative experiences.

   

• Promote cultural exchange and artistic collaboration: Music-culture exchange between Canadian musicians and international artists.

Target Audience
 

• Classical music lovers and cultural tourists

• Local residents and families

• Indigenous youth and community members

• University and high school students

• Arts and cultural organizations

• Educators and heritage sector professionals

Why This Project Matters
 

In a time where cultural reconciliation, youth engagement, and arts accessibility are national priorities, the Cataraqui Chamber Music Festival creates a unique intersection of classical performance and Indigenous cultural presence. It respects the land’s heritage while envisioning a shared artistic future.

By providing platforms for young artists and honoring Indigenous traditions, the festival helps rewrite what chamber music festivals can be: inclusive, place-based, community-oriented, and relevant to today’s Canada. It’s not only a celebration—it’s a statement of values.

Why should you sponsor?

Why Support Harmonaire Musique?

Sound of Future: You can shape the next generation of classical music.

• Support artistic excellence by helping us present world-class performances by today’s most inspiring classical musicians.

• Support emerging artists as they take bold steps toward international careers — through concerts, residencies, and mentorship.

• Support innovation by funding new formats, new works, and new ways to experience classical music.

• Support a growing community of curious, open-minded listeners who believe in the power of live music.

• Support accessibility and inclusion, making space for young audiences, newcomers, and first-time concertgoers.

You are part of the Sound of Future. We offer a growing set of benefits to thank our supporters and visionaries.

Hong Cao

Harmonaire Musique: Our Origins and Vision

 

Harmonaire Musique was founded in 2025 as a federally incorporated non-profit arts organization in Canada, with a mission to integrate classical music into contemporary life and provide meaningful performance platforms for emerging artists. The organization was initiated by Clara Hong Cao, a senior IT team leader with a background in computer science and a lifelong passion for classical music and cultural advocacy.

 

The creation of Harmonaire Musique was born from the belief that classical music still has vital roles to play in today’s world—artistically, intellectually, and socially. Operating with a project-based, curator-driven model, the organization is intentionally agile, unbound by traditional institutional frameworks, and committed to fostering original programs that engage diverse audiences.

 

From the outset, Harmonaire Musique has centered its activities around producing artistically rigorous and socially conscious performances. Its inaugural season features four core projects, each designed to reflect a unique curatorial vision:

 

• The Blue Lounge – A late-night classical music series created for younger urban audiences, blending high-level performance with a relaxed and immersive setting;

• Les Deux Visages du Rêve – A lecture-concert series exploring mental health and the inner lives of composers, fostering reflection and dialogue through music and ideas;

• On the Earth – An international touring initiative spotlighting Canadian emerging artists, creating opportunities for global cultural exchange and artistic visibility;

• Cataraqui Chamber Music Festival – A summer festival held in the Cataraqui region of Ontario, combining Indigenous perspectives with the traditions of Western chamber music.

   

Each of these projects functions not only as a concert series, but as a cultural gesture—seeking to revitalize the role of classical music in civic life, and to create authentic opportunities for young musicians to perform, connect, and be seen.

 

Although newly founded, Harmonaire Musique is already establishing collaborations with artists, designers, video creators, and cultural organizations across Canada. Its early momentum is supported by a growing network of volunteers, donors, and advisors who share the vision of making classical music more accessible, vibrant, and relevant.

 

Looking ahead, Harmonaire Musique aims to expand its annual performance season, build strong partnerships both locally and internationally, and continue developing a sustainable, artist-centered model grounded in curatorial excellence and cultural impact.

 

 

ABOUR OUR NAME

 

Our French name is “Harmonaire Musique”, and our English name is “Harmonaire Music Association”. We are a federally registered non-profit organization based in the culturally diverse city of Montreal, dedicated to promoting classical music and supporting emerging artists. “Harmonaire” is a coined term combining the French word “Harmonie” (harmony) and the English word “Air” (melody, breath), pronounced [ahr-moh-NAIR]. It symbolizes the harmony and vitality of music. Through music, we aim to connect diverse cultures and emotions, fostering artistic innovation. As a cultural non-profit, we focus on producing classical concerts, nurturing emerging talent, and advancing multilingual, multicultural artistic projects to provide inclusive and enriching musical experiences for audiences.

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